After seven years at the helm of the Berry RSL Sub-Branch, president Ray Strong has stepped aside.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"It was time," said Mr Strong, who took over the role from Dick Bird in 2013.
"I'm starting to have a few problems with my body and I just feel it is time to pass the role down to a younger man," the 86-year-old said.
That man is Clyde Poulton.
"I have big shoes to fill, that's for sure," Mr Poulton said.
But it is a role that is not new to his family.
Read more:
His mother Jemima, known as Jimmy, was actually president of the Berry RSL Sub-branch back in the early '70s and was one of the first and only woman to be president of the organisation.
She was in fact one of the first women in NSW to hold such a position.
"It's an honour to be president," Mr Poulton said.
"I hope to carry on the great work that has already been achieved here."
A national serviceman, who served in Vietnam, Mr Poulton is also currently president of the Shoalhaven branch of the Vietnam Veterans' Association.
"I am very humbled to accept the position, - like many I thought Ray would go on forever and I was certainly happy for him to continue," he said.
"I'm not sure I can fill the role as strongly as Ray has but I'm heartened that he will still be here to help out and offer advice.
"I'm also very lucky to have a great secretary in Stuart Christmas, the keeper of the books and a great scribe in his own right and I'm grateful for the support of the members.
"I want to continue our major role which is to be able to help and support our current and past service personnel.
"On that front I already believe our sub-branch is heading in the right direction - it has been a seamless transition."
He says he's happy to follow in his mother's footsteps.
"She was always involve in the Berry Anzac Day march as a member of the Berry Silver Band in the 1960s and '70s, so always had an interest in the RSL," he said.
"She later became a member and took on the role."
As for any future projects, Mr Poulton said he would be guided by members.
"If members see something we need to know about or be involved with they will let us know - the RSL is respectful of that," he said.
"It has been a challenging time for the RSL and in particular NSW RSL over the past couple of years. We have overcome that turmoil now and that and the new RSL Sub-branch rules, which took some time to establish, have been a distraction.
"As was COVID. But now we have those things in place and NSW RSL can get back to its core beliefs - focusing on supporting members and for us, importantly the Berry community.
"My role is to ensure those established practices are continued and we are here to help our service personnel or ex-service personnel when needed.
"We are not a closed shop - we are open to those new and old service personnel or ex-service personnel who live in the area and want to be part of our organisation."
Mr Strong said he has "enjoyed every moment" as president and that it had been "a privilege and an honour".
And he will not be lost to the organisation.
"I'll still be involved and be available to help out wherever I can," he said.
As for a highlight, he says he is "doer not a spruiker" but did say he believes the 2015 centenary Anzac Day event where more than 1000 people were estimated to be at the cenotaph would be hard to top.
"That's the biggest crowd I've ever seen at Berry," he said.
"We were also at the forefront of pushing for affiliate members and were one of the first in NSW to initiate them. We were one of the few local groups who picked up the cue on that one.
"I have been lucky I have lived here [Berry] all my life and I know a lot of people - a lot of influential people who were willing to listen if I approached them and were happy to help."
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.